Frequently Asked Questions
How do I find your office?
THe office is located at 1001 SW Higgins Ave, Suite 103, in Missoula. Click here to see
a map and photo of our building.
What are your hours?
Currently, I see patients Tuesday through Friday. Appointments are available on
alternating Saturdays, if needed. Please email your request for a Saturday
appointment. On Mondays if you have need for an urgent appointment, please click
here to request one by email. I will usually respond within an hour.
What should I bring to my first appointment?
What insurance plans cover your services?
I am a participating provider for:
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Montana * New West
Allegiance InterWest
Blue Chip Great West
Blue Cross FEP Health InfoNet **
*Some out of state BCBS plans do not cover (i.e. Alabama BCBS does not cover unless
it is Smurfitt Stone). Also, we are not first line participating providers in the 'Montana
Health' Plan by Blue Cross- for full coverage in this plan, you will need a referral from
your primary care provider.
** Health InfoNet includes more than 100 insurance plans including some Aetna plans,
Cigna, Principal, World and more. Check the back of your card to see if your plan is
covered in the Health InfoNet list.
Please take the time to confirm with your plan that we are covered- most of these
companies have a variety of plans that all have different rules.
What should I expect of my visit at your office?
I am working without a receptionist now. When you arrive, follow the instructions on
the countertop sign. Usually, you will simply take a seat and I will be with you
shortly. Sometimes, you will be directed to ring the "doorbell" to let me know you
have arrived. When you check in, I will make a copy of your insurance card and
confirm your demographic information. If you have not completed the medical history
form, you will do that at this time.
I make every effort to run on time, and ask that you also arrive on time. If I am
running behind due to the rare instance that a patient needs more time than allotted,
I ask for your patience.
I take a thorough history. An electronic medical record is used, so your history will be
entered into a computer. Depending on the reason for your visit, I will likely examine
you, discuss the likely diagnosis and causes, review options for treatment and agree on
a plan with you. We will discuss when to follow-up and how to do so (another visit
in person, phone or email).
Payment of your co-pay is expected at the time of the visit. I also request payment at
the time of service if you do not have insurance- if you cannot pay in full, I ask that
you pay at least 50% of the visit fee and agree to a payment plan.
I bill your insurance for you and within reason, work on any denials. I cannot
resubmit a previous claim with different coding just to obtain better payment on your
behalf- I try to code to best describe the visit accurately. You are responsible for
payment of the remainder of allowable fees after payment by your insurance company
or of any non-covered services.
How do I set-up a phone or email appointment?
First, I only provide these appointments for established patients. If you have not been
seen previously in this office, you will need to call to make an appointment. If you
are an established patient, you may schedule a 15 minute or 30 minute visit through
our online scheduler- just indicate in the reason that you want a phone visit and
provide your credit card information. Or call our office number (543-5444 option 2) if
you need assistance to set up a phone appointment. I accept Visa and Mastercharge.
Phone appointments should be of a nature that they could be completed in 5- 30
minutes. For an e-mail appointment, click here.
Appropriate e-mail and phone appointments might include:
Insurance companies are starting to cover these types of appointments - it is your
responsibility to understand what benefits are covered. These appointments are
offered as a mechanism to save you the time and the headaches of arranging time off
work or child-care to come to the office for an appointment that could safely be done
over the phone or e-mail. The cost is 25 - 55 dollars depending on time spent. If your
problem is not appropriate for this type of visit, I will ask you to schedule a face-to-
face appointment. There are also times when your problem is so simple and short,
that the fee will be waived.
Why don't you do these types of phone calls or e-mails for free?
My answer to that would be, do you go to work and expect NOT to be paid for part
of your day? I won't whine about how tough it is to be in any business let alone a
healthcare business...(the overhead costs, the reduction in insurance payments or how
there are not any other types of businesses that provide you the service and then wait
1-6 months for payment from a third party. In addition, there is quite a bit of behind
the scenes work to providing healthcare that is done "for free" . To add even more to
that time would bankrupt a practice)... suffice it to say that I work hard to honor the
value of your time by providing the most I can for the time you spend with me and I
ask that you also value my time and expertise.
THe office is located at 1001 SW Higgins Ave, Suite 103, in Missoula. Click here to see
a map and photo of our building.
What are your hours?
Currently, I see patients Tuesday through Friday. Appointments are available on
alternating Saturdays, if needed. Please email your request for a Saturday
appointment. On Mondays if you have need for an urgent appointment, please click
here to request one by email. I will usually respond within an hour.
What should I bring to my first appointment?
- I will need to make a copy of your insurance card, so please bring the card. If
you are not the subscriber, please make certain that you have the ID number (if
not printed on the card) of the subscriber and their birth-date.
- I also need a list of the medications you are taking including their dosages.
- You can download a copy of our registration form and medical history form to
print and complete here. If you do not complete these prior to your
appointment, please arrive a few minutes before your scheduled appointment
time so you can complete it without taking time away from your appointment.
- If you have a complicated history or are seeing me for a specific problem that
has been treated elsewhere, it may be helpful to obtain those records prior to
your appointment. You can download a records release form here, complete it
and send it to your previous providers to request they forward your records to
me before your appointment.
- Women should know the date of the first day of their last period.
- Everyone should review their insurance plan benefits booklet prior to their
appointment. It is your responsibility to know your plan's benefits. Some plans
require a referral, others will cover preventive services without satisfying your
deductible first and others will cover problem visits but not preventive visits. I
cannot "re-submit" after we have sent in a claim to your insurance company just
to try to get you better coverage. We always try to code each visit accurately.
If it is appropriate to code the claim as preventive, or as a problem visit, I
can often do so initially- so please understand your benefits and discuss it with
me. I cannot code fraudulently.
What insurance plans cover your services?
I am a participating provider for:
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Montana * New West
Allegiance InterWest
Blue Chip Great West
Blue Cross FEP Health InfoNet **
*Some out of state BCBS plans do not cover (i.e. Alabama BCBS does not cover unless
it is Smurfitt Stone). Also, we are not first line participating providers in the 'Montana
Health' Plan by Blue Cross- for full coverage in this plan, you will need a referral from
your primary care provider.
** Health InfoNet includes more than 100 insurance plans including some Aetna plans,
Cigna, Principal, World and more. Check the back of your card to see if your plan is
covered in the Health InfoNet list.
Please take the time to confirm with your plan that we are covered- most of these
companies have a variety of plans that all have different rules.
What should I expect of my visit at your office?
I am working without a receptionist now. When you arrive, follow the instructions on
the countertop sign. Usually, you will simply take a seat and I will be with you
shortly. Sometimes, you will be directed to ring the "doorbell" to let me know you
have arrived. When you check in, I will make a copy of your insurance card and
confirm your demographic information. If you have not completed the medical history
form, you will do that at this time.
I make every effort to run on time, and ask that you also arrive on time. If I am
running behind due to the rare instance that a patient needs more time than allotted,
I ask for your patience.
I take a thorough history. An electronic medical record is used, so your history will be
entered into a computer. Depending on the reason for your visit, I will likely examine
you, discuss the likely diagnosis and causes, review options for treatment and agree on
a plan with you. We will discuss when to follow-up and how to do so (another visit
in person, phone or email).
Payment of your co-pay is expected at the time of the visit. I also request payment at
the time of service if you do not have insurance- if you cannot pay in full, I ask that
you pay at least 50% of the visit fee and agree to a payment plan.
I bill your insurance for you and within reason, work on any denials. I cannot
resubmit a previous claim with different coding just to obtain better payment on your
behalf- I try to code to best describe the visit accurately. You are responsible for
payment of the remainder of allowable fees after payment by your insurance company
or of any non-covered services.
How do I set-up a phone or email appointment?
First, I only provide these appointments for established patients. If you have not been
seen previously in this office, you will need to call to make an appointment. If you
are an established patient, you may schedule a 15 minute or 30 minute visit through
our online scheduler- just indicate in the reason that you want a phone visit and
provide your credit card information. Or call our office number (543-5444 option 2) if
you need assistance to set up a phone appointment. I accept Visa and Mastercharge.
Phone appointments should be of a nature that they could be completed in 5- 30
minutes. For an e-mail appointment, click here.
Appropriate e-mail and phone appointments might include:
- review and discussion of lab work you had done through a screening program,
- review and treatment for a simple infection such as a bladder or vaginal
infection that you think is the same as one you have had previously, - discussion of how to treat cold symptoms and when you should be seen,
- discussion on changing a medication dosage, or
- general medical guidance that does not require face-to-face interaction or
evaluation.
Insurance companies are starting to cover these types of appointments - it is your
responsibility to understand what benefits are covered. These appointments are
offered as a mechanism to save you the time and the headaches of arranging time off
work or child-care to come to the office for an appointment that could safely be done
over the phone or e-mail. The cost is 25 - 55 dollars depending on time spent. If your
problem is not appropriate for this type of visit, I will ask you to schedule a face-to-
face appointment. There are also times when your problem is so simple and short,
that the fee will be waived.
Why don't you do these types of phone calls or e-mails for free?
My answer to that would be, do you go to work and expect NOT to be paid for part
of your day? I won't whine about how tough it is to be in any business let alone a
healthcare business...(the overhead costs, the reduction in insurance payments or how
there are not any other types of businesses that provide you the service and then wait
1-6 months for payment from a third party. In addition, there is quite a bit of behind
the scenes work to providing healthcare that is done "for free" . To add even more to
that time would bankrupt a practice)... suffice it to say that I work hard to honor the
value of your time by providing the most I can for the time you spend with me and I
ask that you also value my time and expertise.
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Health Solutions PLLC